


As fate would have it

by InBetweenDreams



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Boss/Employee Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Idiots in Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:55:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24581188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InBetweenDreams/pseuds/InBetweenDreams
Summary: Therese finds herself presenting the largest pitch her company has ever scored.  A bad morning and chance encounter with a beautiful blonde woman leaves her breathless before the big meeting. What Therese doesn't know is that her morning is about to get a whole lot worst before it gets better.AKACarol is a hot boss lady and Therese is a brilliant but nervous wreck
Relationships: Carol Aird & Therese Belivet, Carol Aird/Therese Belivet
Comments: 81
Kudos: 288





	1. Chapter One

_Shit. Shit Shit Shit._ Therese flung the blanket off her in a wild motion as she flung herself out of bed cursing her alarm for not going off. _Of all the days._ They had a big client coming in this morning that was way out of their league and the opportunity of a lifetime. She hastily grabbed the clothes she had laid out the night before, hopping into her pants before heading into the kitchen while wrangling her shirt on. The scent of coffee surrounded her as she stepped into the small kitchen with one arm in her sleeve, her other arm dangling limply at her side when seeing the puddle of coffee surrounding the coffee maker and countertop. _Dammit._

The neon green time glared at her from the oven as she stepped over to see if any coffee had made it into the pot. _Of course not._ She peaked into the machine to find the coffee filter folded down and turned it off. _8:24am_

 _I can make it. If I leave in the next 6min and catch the subway I can make it._ Therese flew into her tiny bathroom throwing on deodorant and quickly brushing her teeth. She brushed her short brown hair and decided a headband would have to do today. _Shit no time for makeup. I’ll do it on the subway._ Grabbing her bag, keys, and phone she left like a whirlwind out of the apartment and was out the door.

 _8:32_ Her phone screen showed her as the elevator doors opened into the lobby. Shoving her phone in her bag she ran outside and was already a few strides towards the subway entrance on the corner when she realized that it was raining. _You have got to be shitting me._ Too late to do anything, she sprinted towards the covered stairs and let out a sigh as she saw the full platform, her train was expectedly running late and for the first time that morning Therese found herself grinning.

Crammed between an overflow of bodies she wedged her hand into her bag looking for her makeup that she hoped was still in there. _Fucking mary poppins bag_ she thought as she delved to the bottom of it and successfully found what she was looking for. Just as she finished putting some eyeliner on and lip color the subway lurched forward telling her she had one more stop to go. A sudden warmth spread along her shoulder and her eyes widened at the apologetic eyes looking at her and the spilled coffee now seeping into her already wet shirt. It was a small stain and she closed her eyes reminding herself that her jacket would cover it until she reached for it and realized it was still sitting on it’s hanger at home. The subway lurched again and Therese leaped off of it in dire need of some space and air.

It was barely drizzling now but Therese was still damp from her morning sprint to the subway. _Three blocks, just three.more.fucking.blocks._ The familiar glass doors finally stood before her and reflected a very different image to Therese than she had been hoping to present on this big day. Her hair was wet and flat, her light blue button down shirt was sticking to her in some places and the brown stain showed prominently on her shoulder. As she strode through the doors making a beeline for the elevators she ripped off her headband and raked her fingers through her hair in an attempt to dry and style it. A set of doors gleamed open and she sprinted towards them.

Ding. The doors slid close without her, leaving her in the lobby pressing the button furiously in hopes of still catching it. She glanced at her phone and leaned her head back against the cold marble wall next to the elevator, _9:02._

 _“_ Fuck,” she squeezed her eyes shut and waited.

“Rough morning?” A low sultry voice asked her.

Therese jolted at the sound and green eyes met blue. The woman before her was a vision. Tall, short blonde hair with the perfect amount of curl, cheek bones for days and fire engine red lips. What took Therese’s breath away though were the sharp blue eyes boring into her. Some fine lines started to appear near that breathtaking blue as she started to smirk at Therese with a glint of amusement lighting up those eyes, an eyebrow now arched looking for a response.

_Shit! Say something! Anything!_

She smiled nervously, “That would be an understatement.”

Ding.

The elevator doors opened and Therese shook herself out of her stupor to step in and quickly press the button to her floor, “Which floor?” she asked the stunning blonde as she stepped in.

The woman walked to the back of elevator slightly behind Therese, “As fate would have it, same as you I see.”

Ding.

Therese shivered. _Get your shit together Belivet, you have a presentation in less than an hour. She’s just a woman!_ She took a deep breath and tried to ignore the heated gaze she could feel on her back. Running her hands through her hair quickly, she tried to make herself more presentable and attempted to fix the shirt that was sticking to her. As she went about fixing her collar, warm fingers suddenly met hers, manicured nails skimming the back of her neck as the woman behind her stepped close to help. Therese momentarily froze as she felt herself blush from the neck up.

Turning slowly she gazed up at the taller woman as she lifted her second hand to fix the collar on the opposite side. Fire engine red nails that matched those divine lips soothed any remaining wrinkles away near her collar. Those hands stilled and rested gently on her shoulders as they stared at each other.

“There…perfect” the low voice husked.

Ding

_God help me_

“I..uhh..th-thank you.” Therese stammered out.

The mysterious blonde gave her an amused smirk as she stepped out of the elevator and headed towards reception. Therese snapped out of her trance, shaking her head as she bolted the opposite way down a long hallway. With one last look over her shoulder in the direction of the mysterious woman, she saw that reception was now empty as she rushed inside her shared office with Dannie.

“Where have you been?! You’re ov- “ Dannie stopped midsentence as he saw the state Therese was in and couldn’t help but laugh, “What the hell happened to you?!”

“Don’t ask.” Therese pushed past him, diving for her desk drawer hoping her sweater was still in there. “Fuck” she slammed the offending drawer shut.

“Are you looking for clothes? I… I have a shirt if you need one.” He offered meekly. Therese looked up at him then at his boyish brown hair and bright eyes.

_Great I’m either going to present looking drowned or I’ll be up there naked._

“Dannie…” she watched him pull out a folded light green shirt, “I…yes thank you, you’re a life saver”

Before she knew it, she was once again rushing down a hallway. Dannie’s shirt was a little big on her but she made it work as best she could with the few top buttons undone. Her hair had dried decently after repeatedly raking her fingers through it and it only took a moment to clean up her makeup. She found Dannie hanging out in front of the door waiting for her and went over to stand opposite of him by the door jam.

Just as she was about to speak a familiar presence was at her side and a manicured hand touched her collar lightly.

“I must say,” she paused and looked into the deep green eyes before her, “green is very much your color.” The blonde woman from the elevator winked at her as she let go of Therese’s collar and walked into the same conference room she was just about to present to.

_Oh shit._


	2. Chapter Two

_Fuck my life._

Therese’s wide eyes turned to meet Dannie’s confused expression. With a nod signaling go time, he followed the blonde into the conference room leaving the stunned woman in the hallway.

_Oh.My.God. This can’t be happening._

She quickly ran her hand through her still slightly damp hair before taking a shaky breath and stepping inside. The conference room was much brighter than the hallway. A long wooden table with tall black chairs dominated the room as everyone murmured the usual pleasantries. Her eyes instantly found the blonde talking with Dannie. Just as she took a step towards them intense blue eyes looked up at her, and if she wasn’t mistaken she could see a ghost of a smirk on the woman’s lips. Seeing that he had lost the attention of the client he turned to follow her eyeline and grinned widely at Therese.

“Therese, I’d like you to meet Carol Aird,” he beckoned to her. “Carol this is Therese Belivet our fearless lead on this project.”

_Of course she’s Carol Aird._

Feigning confidence she walked the remaining steps over to the duo and stuck her hand out, Carol’s blue eyes never leaving hers. “Carol… Nice to officially meet you,” she lightly teased. Her hand collided with soft skin and a firm grip, the feeling of electric currents running up her arm at the contact.

“Therese…not Theresa?” Carol’s smooth voice asked.

“It’s Czech,” Therese blushed. She looked down at their still clasped hands and quickly pulled hers back. She thought she saw a flash of disappointment behind those beautiful eyes, but it happened so quickly she could hardly process it.

_Great now I’m imagining things._

Carol smiled. “It’s beautiful.”

“Th-Thank you.” She responded shyly, her nerves still firing on all cylinders.

_Smooth._

“Well then I think it’s about time to get down to business ladies and gentleman,” Dannie announced to the room. He looked back and forth between the two women who seemed to be in their own world and put a hand on Therese’s shoulder. “You ready?” his eyes had a serious glint to them, all business. It helped ground her. Carol watched the exchange between the two and nodded, taking her seat at the head of the table.

Therese turned towards Dannie and smiled assuredly at him. With a quick whisper of encouragement in his ear she took a seat at the opposite end of the table feeling a pair of curious eyes on her but refusing to meet them.

_Those eyes are going to be my undoing._

She turned her body towards Dannie who was a pro at these things. It never ceased to amaze Therese just how naturally he captured an audience; his energy was contagious and it was something that she had learned from him over the years.

“Welcome, welcome. We are so excited to have Carol Aird and her associates here from the elite chain of Aird department stores. There are a lot of great minds in this room right now and I am confidant that we are on the precipice of something great here. We appreciate being able to meet with you like this today and show you what we have been working so hard on. That being said I would like to introduce to you our brilliant creative lead who has really been the drive behind this project and who has come up with something quite extraordinary in my opinion,” he smiled warmly at Therese before gesturing to her, “Therese Belivet.”

_Let’s do this just like we practiced._

As soon as Therese had stood up her brain finally kicked into work mode and she found she could breathe a bit easier when she looked up to see the beginning of her PowerPoint displayed on the screen behind her.

“The beauty of rebranding any business is that the leg work has already been done. Aird department stores have been a staple for generations. Everyone knows them. They are all over the country and I think you would be hard pressed to find such quality in another store like it. So I was curious when this project landed on my desk. Why would Aird department stores want to rebrand? Then I saw the numbers and things started to fall into place.” Therese paused to sort her thoughts and sneak a peek at Carol who was intently watching her, “Sophisticated, high-end, and expensive are the top three characteristics associated with the Aird brand.”

_As well as the owner._

“The 1%. So I got to thinking. What makes the Aird brand so distinguishable is also it’s biggest downfall.” She looked to Carol and found her gaze unwavering. “By serving the 1% you’re alienating the other 99% that could really boost your business and even grow it to be international. Let’s not think small here, let’s think big, not dream it.” Carol placed her elbow on the table and leaned forward resting her chin in her hand.

“I grew up in the foster system. I’ve seen all kinds of families firsthand. Rich, poor, middle class. Every holiday I witnessed, there was at least one item wrapped pristinely in that signature red paper from Aird’s. It was almost always in wealthy neighborhoods or by older grandparents. I grew up knowing I would never unwrap that red paper. It would never be an option. I was too poor, too young, and far from sophisticated.” She paused to sip some water and let everyone digest what she had just divulged. Her past was something that she had become increasingly more comfortable with, but understood it made others feel uneasy. It still made her feel uneasy at times. Chancing a peak at the head of the table, Carol was still watching her with something unreadable in those blue eyes.

_Focus.Focus.Focus._

“As an adult today with more means than my 10 year old self, I still find myself feeling the same way. I still associate Aird’s with all the things I am not. I wanted to find out if other’s feel the same way I do and it turns out the numbers agree with me.” Colorful charts filled the screen, “We took the liberty of running some small focus groups and it turns out I’m not alone.”

Dannie stood up and went on to explain their findings and support behind their ideologies. The numbers were strong and she was feeling more confidant as the minutes went by with Carol’s attention never wavering.

_What is she thinking right now? Does she hate this?_

Dannie was a wizard with numbers and he had a gift for explaining them in such a meaningful way that Therese was never able to mimic. She enjoyed the break from presenting as she watched him animatedly discuss the focus groups and the meaning of the pie charts on the screen.

_He brings it to life._

She scanned the faces around her, the two older gentleman that came with Carol had serious expressions on their faces, looking unphased by the entire meeting. Movement caught her eye and she saw her boss scribbling something down in a notepad with a very pleased expression on his face which Therese couldn’t help but mirror. She felt proud of what they put together and didn’t realize she was grinning until her eyes found the ones she was attempting to avoid and saw a small smile directed towards her. She felt the heat of blush rise up her neck and willed it back down.

_Who is this goddess? Why is she not paying attention to Dannie?_

The moment was broken when she heard a throat clear next to her and found Dannie’s expectant face.

_Shit I missed my cue._

She could feel the woman’s smirk from the front of the room and almost rolled her eyes before catching herself.

“So what does all of this mean? We need everyone to think of Aird’s, not just the rich and older generations. We need everyone’s business. Segregation is a thing of the past and we need Aird’s to include everyone.” Green eyes locked with blue, “We need a store that parents think of when buying new school clothes for their children, we need families to think of Aird’s when they get those birthday invitations in the mail, and most importantly we need to reflect the communities that we are in. Aird’s has been a family business since it first opened by your great grandfather Carol, and we would like to keep that legacy alive. It’s time for Aird’s to go back to its roots, where it all began. A family business. A business for all families.” The final slide appeared on the screen showing people of all color, socioeconomic status’, and abilities. “Aird’s from our family to yours.”

Carol leaned back in her seat and studied the image before her. Therese was holding her breath.

A gruff voice cut into the room, “Aird’s is known for it’s quality, we’re not looking to become a cheap chain store offering bulk prices to the masses.” The man on Carol’s left spoke disapprovingly.

“Who said anything about cheap?” Therese said before she could stop herself. A raised eyebrow from Carol caught her eye before she continued, “Aird’s is known for it’s great quality, we are not looking to change that, only to make it available to everyone.”

“Which is just another way of saying cheap.” The man rebuffed.

“I disagree, “Therese said coolly, “The market you are accustomed to selling to has been failing you for years now. Including more affordable options in parts of the store would help your growth margin tremendously. The growth we estimated in our propos-“

“Our clientele expect a certain priv-“ he was cut off.

“Your clientele is no longer shopping at your store, is that right? Correct me if I’m wrong but you’ve been showing a steady decline in sales for 10 years and a net loss for the past 5.” Therese countered.

He rolled his eyes and looked towards Carol for backup.

Therese looked over to find Carol’s head cocked to one side with a thoughtful expression on her face and something fierce behind her eyes as she studied her.

“In order to save this business a significant change needs to happen. Aird’s needs to move out of the past and into the future. And you need us to do that.” Therese stated firmly, her gaze unwavering from blue.

A tense energy had been filling up the room all leading to this point. They either just landed the opportunity of a lifetime or completely blew it. The silence made the energy palpable. Their fate was up to Carol Aird.

“You’re right. We need you.” Carol’s low voice said as she locked eyes with Therese. She shivered.

_Holy Fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Thanks for all the kudos and comments everyone :) It motivated me to get another chapter out sooner. 
> 
> Thanks for reading :) 
> 
> Kudos=Love


	3. Chapter Three

_Shit or get off the pot Terry._

Therese played with the business card in her hand and traced the elegant flowing handwriting that was scrawled along the back of it with her fingertip.

_I can’t believe she gave me her number._

She smiled softly to herself as she remembered what happened earlier that day after the meeting. Though the card was small and thin it seemed to carry a lot of weight in Therese’s hand. Flipping it back over she closed her eyes and let herself get lost in thought again.

_Carol._

* * *

The door had just clicked shut behind them when both Therese and Dannie let out an excited squeal.

“You fucking nailed it!” Dannie exclaimed picking up Therese and spinning her.

“We fucking nailed it!” Therese laughed as she was gently lowered back down to the ground.

“I can’t believe it,” Therese said breathlessly, “I for sure thought I was going to pass out at one point.”

_And not from the presentation._

“Well, I’m sure if you did Carol would’ve caught you” he teased.

Therese gave Dannie a bashful look while unbuttoning the borrowed shirt, “I highly doubt that someone like Carol would even give me a second look.”

_Talk about way out of my league._

“Girl you are way past a second look the way she was staring at you,” he said. Dannie grabbed the green button down and folded it neatly before putting it back into his drawer. 

She could feel the heat rush up her neck at the memory of Carol seated at the head of the table, her gaze almost never leaving Therese.

_Those striking eyes._

She was rubbing at the top of her arms as she stood in a tank top in the small office, taking a moment to sort her thoughts.

_Do I tell him about the elevator?_

Just as she was about to tell Dannie, there was a sharp knock at the door and the subject of their conversation popped her head in.

“Mind if I interrupt?” Carol asked slyly as she propped the door open.

_Nope. Never._

“Not at all Mrs. Aird, it’s been such a pleasure meeting with you today” Dannie smiled. He glanced over to Therese, and saw that her blush had gone a shade darker and smiled wider.

“Please, call me Carol,” she said as her gaze bore into Therese, “I couldn’t resist coming over to speak with you before we left. It’s pretty risky to tell a future client that they should do the opposite of what they’ve been doing. I commend you, that’s really daring.” She smiled politely at Dannie before seeking out those green eyes again.

“Ah, well that is all Therese, she really led the team on this one, right Terry?” Dannie asked with a glint in his eye.

_Best wingman ever._

“I may have thought of the concept, but the team worked really hard on everything,” Therese smiled as she rubbed her bare arm nervously.

“Well, I’m really looking forward to seeing what else is up your sleeve,” the blonde cocked her head playfully as she eyed the tank top on Therese, “Dannie could you give us a moment? I’d like to speak with Therese alone.”

“Consider me gone” he winked and was out the door before Therese could process what was happening.

_Worst wingman ever._

Smirking, Carol made her way over to Therese slowly. Her eyes drank in every inch of alabaster skin before she reached out and playfully hooked a manicured finger underneath Therese’s tank top strap. “My, my, three outfits in one day. I have to say that so far, this one is my favorite,” Carol’s low voice teased. Blue eyes followed the deep blush as it travelled down the brunette’s neck, and she licked her lips unconsciously.

_Is she flirting with me?_

_I think she’s flirting with me._

_Holy shit she’s flirting with me!_

_Flirt back you idiot!_

“On a good day I’m usually on my fourth outfit by lunch,” Therese tried to say coolly.

_Nailed it._

A perfect eyebrow rose before Carol let out a melodious laugh. Blue eyes softened, “You did look like you had a rough morning when I saw you by the elevator.”

“Definitely not my finest moment,” Therese admitted shyly “I have to say though, I think the rest of the day is looking up.”

“You think so?” the blonde asked.

“I do” Therese said confidently, “I mean I just landed the infamous Aird account, how much better could it get?”

Blue eyes bore into green as Carol bit her lip seemingly in thought about something.

“Well, if something happens to top that, I want to be the first to know.” As she spoke Carol smoothly withdrew a sleek business card from her pocket and looked past Therese to the pen laying on the desk behind her. Stepping into the shorter woman’s space she reached for it and inhaled the delicate scent of lavender coming from the younger woman.

_Oh my god, is this really happening right now?_

In one swift motion Carol quickly jotted down something on the back of the card before pressing it into Therese’s hand. The brunette looked down at the card in her hand and saw a cell phone number written neatly on the back.

She looked from the card to the smirking blonde in front of her and realized her mouth was hanging open.

“I look forward to hearing about the rest of your day” she said as she walked out the door.

* * *

Therese flipped the card back over in her hand again and looked at her phone’s dark screen sitting next to her on the couch. She had been itching to text Carol for the past hour but hadn’t mustered up the courage yet. Almost done with her third beer she grabbed the phone and opened up a blank text message. Her chest felt warm and her head had just the slightest buzz to it.

_What do you possibly text a goddess? Who is also a client no less?_

She leaned her head back against the cushion of the couch looking to her ceiling for inspiration. It offered none and she sighed as she looked down at the bright screen.

_Now or never._

She started typing.

**I know it’s nothing compared to how my morning went, but I actually got a seat on the subway on my way home and bonus…no one spilled coffee on me. Much better than my subway ride into work.**

Before she could overthink it too much Therese hit send. She held her breath for a second staring at the screen before tossing the phone to the other side of the couch. She laid back and prepared to settle in for a movie when she heard the familiar chime signaling a text. Her heart lurched as she scrambled to grab the phone and unlock it.

**I’m sorry, but who is this?**

Her heart sank. She stared in disbelief at the text. Had she somehow misread the signals from Carol? What if this beautiful woman had simply been giving Therese her cell phone number to discuss business? As her head started to swim she heard the same chime and looked down again.

**Just kidding Therese. I’m glad your ride home was so much more enjoyable ;)**

Therese felt relief wash over her and grinned to herself. Carol knew exactly what she was doing and she could almost picture the smirk on those tantalizing red lips.

Therese bit her lip and started typing her reply.

**How was the rest of your day? I imagine it was very busy.**

She was feeling giddy. The excitement overrode her self-doubt and she placed the phone next to her and started a movie she didn’t read the description of. After a few minutes her phone lit up again.

_Do I add her to my contacts? Is it too early for that?_

**Not too busy, but definitely not as good as my morning. Go through anymore outfit changes?**

Therese smiled.

**Not unless you count PJ’s :P It’s a boring night here consisting of celebratory beers and a movie. How is yours?**

After sending the text Therese entered Carol’s name into her phone and set it down, hoping that the movie would distract her enough and settle her nerves. Fifteen minutes went by and she had no idea what was happening in the movie and got up to get another beer. Thirty more minutes passed and Therese’s phone was still silent.

_She’s way out of my league. Why would she want to hear about my boring night?_

She turned the movie off and decided to call it a night when her phone chimed and Carol’s name lit up the screen.

**Sounds lovely, but I think we should celebrate properly. How would you like to have dinner with me Saturday night?**

_Fuck. Yes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! :) 
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying the story. I'm just winging it!! 
> 
> Kudos= Love


	4. Chapter Four

_Calm the fuck down, it’s just a date._

Therese wiped her sweaty palms on her black jeans as the taxi pulled up to the Italian restaurant Carol had picked. She had told Therese to dress casual, but she was pretty sure their definitions of casual were not the same thing. She had opted for crisp black jeans and a tight forest green sweater that she hoped brought out her eyes.

They had texted on and off the past few days and Therese couldn’t help but smile thinking about it. She was equal parts terrified and excited as she tipped the driver and stepped out into the cool air of New York City. The sun was setting and cast an orange glow against the surrounding buildings, reflecting off the endless windows that towered in the sky. She reached into her bag and took out the small camera that she kept with her for moments like these. She was kneeling on the ground getting a better angle when she heard the familiar sound of heels on pavement.

She didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. She felt it.

“How’s the view from down there?” Carol’s husky voice asked.

Therese grinned widely and looked over to Carol, “Breathtaking”.

_She’s a vision._

Therese couldn’t help but stare at Carol. She was wearing dark blue jeans and a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her beautiful golden curls were lit up by the sunset and Therese thought she saw a slight blush creep down her neck. She wasn’t sure how long they stared at each other but finally the younger woman broke out of her reverie and stood up.

“You look beautiful” Carol said, “I’ve said it before but green really is your color Therese.”

_God the way she says my name._

“Thank you,” she said shyly.

Carol motioned to the camera and raised her eyebrow in a silent question.

“Oh..uh… it’s just a hobby. I carry a camera with me everywhere.” Therese admitted.

_Ugh that sounds so lame._

“I’m definitely ready for some of that wine you were talking about last night.” Therese said quickly changing the subject.

“Good, because I plan on buying a bottle,” the blonde opened the door and held it for Therese.

The restaurant was sophisticated yet laid back with white tablecloths and brick walls. It had a certain charm and Therese was pleasantly surprised at Carol’s choice, secretly hoping it wouldn’t be too fancy. Black and white photos lined the walls depicting NYC in the 20’s and 30’s which the brunette noticed as they were lead to a table in the corner. The tables were spaced far apart yet the place had a sense of coziness to it.

Carol said something to the host who immediately came back to the table with red wine glasses as they sat down and looked at the menu.

_Shit. This place is expensive!_

Therese bit her lip and scanned the menu for something that was affordable, eyes going wide when her eyes reached the prices on the wine menu.

As if sensing her unease Carol spoke, “Order whatever you’d like, dinner is on me tonight.” She flashed a smile before looking back at her menu.

_Shit she knows I’m poor!_

Just as she was about to ask how good the pasta was, the waiter came over with a bottle of wine. He filled their glasses after showing the label to Carol, who dismissed the formality with the wave of her hand.

Therese raised her glass towards Carol, summoning every ounce of courage she could, “To a beautiful night with a beautiful woman.”

She held her breath as blue eyes bore into her. Surprise flashed behind them followed by something else Therese couldn’t quite read. Those red lips that Therese had dreamt about turned into a smirk, “Cheers to that.”

Clink.

A burst of flavor hit her tongue and Therese reveled in how smooth it went down. A lingering taste of cherry had her immediately taking another sip. She heard a small laugh from across the table and caught the older woman looking at her amused, “I told you”.

“This is amazing. I need to go out with you more often,” Therese blurted out, cheeks reddening instantly.

“I think we can arrange that,” Carol said as she leaned forward on her elbows and rested her chin on her hands, “So Therese, tell me about yourself.”

* * *

The evening went by in a blur and Therese’s head was feeling fuzzy from the expensive wine. They talked about anything and everything. Therese learned about Carol’s teenage daughter Rindy and about her bore of a CFO Harge, who was the gruff man at their meeting. She also learned that Carol loved to travel and that her favorite kind of pie was cherry.

_Of course it is._

Therese’s cheeks felt warm as the chocolate cake they decided to split for dessert arrived at the table with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Grinning and embracing her liquid courage she reached for the cherry and dangled it in front of Carol who rolled her eyes and grabbed the cherry before making a show of popping it into her mouth.

_Maybe I’m not the only one who’s buzzed._

Therese dove in with a big bite and moaned at the taste. The cake was rich and velvety, the whipped cream light and fluffy. She licked her lips when the blonde caught her eye. Carol had a spoon half way to her mouth and her eyes were dark as she watched Therese.

Just as she was about to say something Carol lowered her spoon and reached a hand out towards Therese’s lips. The brunette froze. That feeling of electricity surged through her again as Carol used her thumb to wipe away some whipped cream from the corner of her mouth. Mesmerized Therese watched as Carol took her hand back and sucked the whipped cream off her thumb. With a smirk she broke her gaze from Therese and took a bite of cake.

_Oh sweet Jesus. She knows exactly what she’s doing right now._

Carol paid for dinner with a black card, ignoring the younger woman’s futile attempt to help pay. Soon they found themselves outside on the sidewalk, the sky dark and full of stars. The blonde immediately lit up a cigarette and offered one to Therese who took it and leaned forward towards the lighter in the blonde’s hand. She took a long drag. “I had a really good time tonight” Therese said as the smoke swirled above her head.

“So did I,” the blonde said as she took another drag, “I picked this place, which means you pick the next one.”

_A SECOND DATE?!_

“Sounds fair but I don’t think the wine will be nearly as good,” Therese beamed at Carol. She could feel the alcohol in her veins and the butterflies in her stomach. It was a strange feeling and not one that she had ever experienced before.

“It’s a date, “Carol said, and waved her hand in the air to hail a cab as they finished their cigarettes.

_It’s a date!_

The yellow car pulled up to the curb, and Carol opened the door for Therese.

“Such a gentleman,” Therese teased.

“Only for you,” Carol paused for a moment looking down at the younger woman in the cab, then leaned in and kissed her cheek.

As the cab drove Therese home she smiled widely and touched the faint lipstick on her cheek.

_Holy Fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait!! 
> 
> Hope you're still enjoying the story and thank you for reading :) 
> 
> Any ideas for date# 2?
> 
> Kudos= Love

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope everyone is staying safe and sane during these crazy times.
> 
> Kudos=Love :)


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